Safa sued for R5m over match-fixing claims

The South African Football Association (Safa) and its former CEO Leslie Sedibe will face off in a defamation action in the Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) on 8 August. Sedibe, who is suing Safa for R5m, will finally have his day in court as he attempts to clear his name following allegations of match-fixing involving Bafana Bafana, says a City Press report. It has been almost five years since the allegations that Bafana Bafana matches prior to the 2010 Soccer World Cup were fixed first surfaced, and the issue refuses to disappear. Last year, Fifa banned Sedibe for five years from all football-related activities after charges relating to the saga. He was also fined R311 000. He has not paid the fine. Sedibe, who has always maintained his innocence, still denies any wrongdoing and has now approached the courts in an attempt to clear his name and to find out now who was really involved. He has acquired the services of top legal minds Lawrence Hodes SC, who represented Glenn Agliotti in the Brett Kebble murder case, and law firm Phillip Silver Swartz. David Swartz, head of the litigation division at the law firm, said he was confident of victory. ‘All he wants to do is clear his name so he can move on. Remember, he (Sedibe) also wanted a commission of inquiry to be appointed to get to the bottom of the allegations as there are many unanswered questions.’